He always advocated dialogue for resolution of issues, friendly ties with neighbour; his slogan of Jhamoriyat, Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat was full of vision; Never knew Devender was so sick, would have mend fences with him
TDD Correspondent
Srinagar, TDD, Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while terming the former Prime Minister of India late Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a great visionary, today said that Vajpayee’s roadmap and vision on J&K died with him as the present dispensation at Delhi created more distances rather than bridging the divide.
“Vajpayee was a towering personality who started the Lahore bus and went to Minar-e-Pakistan. He always tried to build friendly ties with Pakistan. He always advocated dialogue as a means of resolution and bridging the divide. But unfortunately, his vision and road map on J&K died with him,” Omar told Assembly while speaking on the obituary references of 57 lawmakers and political big-wigs who passed away in the past ten years.
He said that Vajpayee’s slogan of Jhamoriyat, Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat was full of vision. “Perhaps, he was the first and last leader who raised this slogan,” Omar said. The Chief Minister said that it was the Vajpayee who opened roads between the two divided parts of Kashmir in a bid to bridge the divide. “But all those roads were closed,” he said. “More distances were created rather than bridging them.”
He said that but unfortunately, the path and the road map shown by Vajpayee has been left mid-way and “instead of connecting people, distances are being created.” “If Vajpayee’s roadmap on J&K would have been implemented and followed inspirit, we would not have been where we are at present,” Omar said referring the BJP led government’s August 5, 2019 decision when it rolled back the Article 370 and sliced the erstwhile J&K State into two UTs– Ladakh and J&K.
The Chief Minister recalled the Vajpayee led cabinet’s stand on Autonomy resolution stating that the resolution was rejected but sooner Vajpayee realised the decision was taken in a haste. “He appointed the then Law Minister to hold talks with the NC leadership on the same,” Omar said. “But the progress couldn’t not be made on the issue further. When Vajpayee passed away, his vision and road map died with him as the new dispensation at New Delhi choose a different track on J&K.”
Omar also paid tributes to his former Advisor Devender Singh Rana stating that he wasn’t aware about the falling health condition of his friend. “If I am more pained over the death of any member that is Devender. He was a great friend with whom I have spent the prime time of my life. I never knew about his ailing health. If I would have been aware of his health, perhaps I would have tried to end the distances and indignation,” Omar said.
Omar also said that in the today’s obituary references there is a mention of lawmakers from Ladakh and Kargil and perhaps this is the last time when J&K Assembly is paying tributes to the members of Ladakh and Kargil as Ladakh is not part of J&K anymore. Omar also paid tributes to president Pranab Mukherji terming him a visionary and impartial president. Mukherji passed away in August, 2020—(TDD)
